Chris Harrison has been hosting The Bachelor since the show’s debut nearly two decades ago and has generally been a positive presence on the show, but he has often failed to stand up against racism in the franchise. He has stayed with the franchise for so long because fans have grown to love seeing his familiar face. Lately, things have been a little different. After defending the recent racism controversies that occurred this season, people have investigated this trend in behavior. The host has a history of supporting The Bachelor’s ongoing racial bias.
This season, photos of contestant Rachael Kirkconnell at an "Old-South" themed party surfaced on the internet and rapidly sparked a conversation. Chris sat down with podcast host and former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay and discussed the controversy. Chris defended the Bachelor franchise and specifically Rachael, saying that she may not have known better in 2018 when these photos were taken when she certainly should have known that it was not appropriate. This is not the first time The Bachelor host defended racist actions within the franchise.
Amid the controversy surrounding the host this season, other acts of racial bias from past seasons came to light as well. Matt James, who is the show’s most recent Bachelor, was also the first Black Bachelor. This was considered a step in the right direction regarding diversity and inclusivity, and many people were excited to see the franchise take this step. The host has spoken out to defend the show in regards to never having a Black Bachelor before, which was shocking and devastating to hear.
After his disastrous botched interview with Rachel Lindsay, she spoke out about how she believed his comments were a result of implicit racism. His unconscious biases, stereotypes, and misconceptions contribute to the implicit bias of the show. As a host, he should be an advocate for diversity on set, but he has allowed racism to occur. On Rachel’s season, she was set up on a 2-on-1 date with a black contestant and a racist contestant. This was a mistake — or perhaps, a deliberate decision — in casting and Chris Harrison chose not to speak up about it. Chris used to shrug off the issue of not having a Black lead before Rachel came along, believing that it wasn't a problem. He was living in an alternate reality, and it caught up with him during Matt James' season.
While the show’s implicit bias and racism controversies cannot be blamed entirely on the host, he can step up and be an advocate against racism in the franchise. Validating the racial biases on the show and in Bachelor Nation shows where the host stands. As someone who has been a part of the franchise since the beginning, Chris Harrison should be advocating to fix the racial bias occurring, not defending it. He should feel responsible to do this regardless of whether or not he ever returns to host.
After his most recent incident of defending the show’s racial bias, Chris was held accountable by viewers via social media. Viewers questioned why he did not see the racial issues occurring and encouraged him to do some personal reflection. His air time was cut (allegedly) during the end of the most recent season, and he did not host After The Final Rose. Chris will be taking some time away from the franchise in order to work on these biases, but after some personal change, he may be back to host another season in the future. And if he does, will those changes be reflective of a changed man or simply someone who doesn't want to lose his job for good?
